A 2027 four-star safety with a connection to a current Tennessee Vols player has reportedly set his commitment date.

Four-star safety KJ Caldwell told Rivals this week that he plans to announce his commitment on April 3.

Caldwell, 6-1/180 pounds from Lilburn, GA, is rated by 247Sports as the No. 5 safety in the nation and the No. 8 player in the state of Georgia. He’s also rated as the No. 74 overall player in the 2027 recruiting class.

Caldwell told Rivals that culture will be a big factor in his decision.

“Culture is big for me — probably No. 1,” said Caldwell. “I want that family environment I can live in and feel like I’m part of a family. Getting developed at the highest level is another one. Then having a chance to see the field as a freshman.”

Georgia, Miami, Tennessee, NC State, and Vanderbilt are in the mix to land the talented defensive back.

KJ Caldwell was high school teammates with current Tennessee Vols wide receiver Mike Matthews

When Caldwell was a freshman at Parkview High School, he was teammates with current Vols wide receiver Mike Matthews, who was a senior at the time.

Matthews, a former five-star recruit, signed with Tennessee during the 2024 recruiting cycle.

Caldwell told GoVols247 last summer that he’s not “real close” with Matthews, but acknowledged having conversations with the dynamic wide receiver “about his process”.

“The time that I spent with him, it was good, and I had a lot of great conversations with him talking about his process and how it could translate to my process and things like that,” said Caldwell.

Caldwell is planning to take an official visit to Tennessee this spring.

According to 247Sports, one of the reasons Tennessee is at the top of his recruitment is because of the game day atmosphere he experienced when visiting UT this past season.

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